I absolutely love bruschetta. A big piece of crusty bread diving into tangy balsamic with chunky tomatoes, garlic and basil might just be the most perfect bite known to man. It is this perfection that easily leads to an overindulgence of bread, which is how spiked blood sugar and carbohydrate-overload occur. Saying no to baked goods after the first bite, especially when that toasted treat comes in appetizer form, is extremely tough to do. Whether it’s cheese and crackers or brie and sourdough, one doesn’t mean to polish off an entire day’s worth of carbohydrates in one sitting, it’s just that the “off switch” is nowhere to be found after the first few bites. I decided to combat the battle of the bread with a healthy alternative with built in portion control. I made my mom’s delectable bruschetta recipe, but simply used it over chicken with a thin sliver of toasted bread to sop up the glorious balsamic vinegar. As an added bonus, the garlic in this meal is super good for you. Garlic promotes the well-being of the heart and immune systems with antioxidant properties and helps maintain healthy blood circulation while lowering blood pressure. One of garlic’s most potent health benefits includes the ability to enhance the body’s immune cell activity.
Ingredients:
- Cooking Spray
- 4 chicken breasts
- 6 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup basil, sliced or torn
- 1/8 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- salt and pepper
- 4 small slices of crusty French bread
- Parmesan or mozzarella cheese (optional)
